The Silicon Review ^Asia

We all must have experienced the moment of heartache when we accidentally drop our phone. The whole world around us stops at that moment and our heart starts to chant prayers to save that precious piece of gadget!

The accidental free fall of the phone is inevitable and sometimes even the toughest phone cases can’t protect the damage. A new clever phone case, innovated by Philip Frenzel has spring horns that pop open and land with a jaunty bounce when the phone falls on the ground.

If those ugly heavy cases and compromising on your phone aesthetics aren’t your first choice, switch to this phone case that deploys only when your phone is in danger. The mechanism is simple: A sensor that detects when the phone is in free fall and then activates the next step. Frenzel, an engineer at Aalen University in Germany who received the top award from the German Society of Mechatronics for his amazing idea, had speculations about the type of technology for the next step. He initially thought of airbag or foam based mechanism but nothing seemed practical. He finally opted for something springy that can reduce the kinetic energy by bouncing off the floor.

The final design has set of eight thin metal curls that normally lie flat inside the case but when released, they pop out and curl up for the action. When you pick up your phone, hopefully undamaged, you simply fold the spring back into their holster.

Now, this is a must-have!